The roles of professionals in birthing

Professionals in Birthing

DOULA

A Greek word with a general meaning of ‘mothering the mother’, ‘being with woman’. A doula is your window to an intervention free pregnancy, labour and birth. A doula is not a midwife. Her role is very different. She will look after your emotional needs and be your all-important advocate, no matter where you are birthing. She is not a representative of the hospital system – she is representing only the birthing woman/couple.

Advantages of Professional Doula Support

Continuity of care – Birth Right doulas will provide telephone/email access, as well as face to face meetings during pregnancy. She will provide support for you throughout your labour, both at home and hospital and offer post-natal support.

Support for partner – allows a Dad to relax and enjoy becoming a Dad, whatever that looks like for him on the day. Having a Birth Right doula takes all the pressure off Dad and allows him to feel safe and supported.

Excellent information source – giving you choices

Trust – you will have already built up a relationship of trust with your doula, ensuring you feel safe in labour. Women who feel safe and well supported generally have shorter labours and feel more positive about their birthing experience.

Research shows that the continuous support of a caring woman (doula):

Reduces the length of labour

Reduces the need for drugs for pain relief

Reduces the need for an episiotomy

Reduces the need for forceps/ventouse

Reduces the need for a Caesarean section

Women report less anxiety in labour

Women breastfeed for longer

Experience less post-natal depression

The World Health Organisation states: “Giving birth is a natural process that should not be interfered with unless absolutely medically necessary.”

Midwife

A Midwife specialises in caring for normal pregnancy, labour and birth and post-natally. Most midwives have trained as a general nurse, followed by a post graduate degree in midwifery. Many midwives have other qualifications, eg. specialising in education, post-natal care, neonatal intensive care nursing. Many women choose a midwifery model of care. Most public hospitals offer a number of different models of care. It is important to ‘shop around’. Midwives work as independent practitioners, generally as a home birth midwife. Midwives support women in their choices, offer holistic care, and promote normal birth. WHO (World Health Organisation) recommend that healthy women have midwifery care. Pregnancy is a normal event, so choosing a midwife who specialises in normal birth, will only enhance your chances of a normal birth.

Obstetrician

An obstetrician is a medical Doctor who specialises in looking after medical problems in pregnancy, labour and birth. There are not many women in this category, who have medical problems. An Obstetrician may care for a woman who has very high blood pressure or an I.D.D. (insulin dependent diabetic), or someone who has placenta praevia. An obstetrician is a Doctor and specialises in ‘fixing’ things. They are very good at it.

Anaesthetist

An Anaesthetist is a medical Doctor who specialises in administering anaesthetics, e.g. an epidural.

An Anaesthetist is medically trained to administer pain relief. In some hospitals, particularly private hospitals, they get a lot of practice in giving epidurals.

Childbirth Educator

There are many people offering childbirth education classes. Hospital based classes are often run by a midwife or physiotherapist. These classes are restricted by hospital policy in how they share information and are based on pain management.Book an Inside Birth® Antenatal Class and we will show you how to be this relaxed and peaceful during labour and birth. Learning deep hypnosis and self hypnosis skills at our unique dip in/dip out Inside Birth® classes, allows you to enjoy your labour and birth and connect with your baby, looking forward to meeting on the outside.

Testimonials

Both Paul and I read your book 'Birth Right', early in our pregnancy. It made us realise that we didn't have to be passive in our birth experience. From that point, we were determined to have the birth we wanted. Through our meetings with you and your advice at each stage, we moved along the path toward welcoming our baby into this world in a beautiful and natural way. We were so happy with our birth experience. We felt in complete control which was extremely important to us. Ben was not the smallest of babies (4.5kg. at birth with a

Both Paul and I read your book 'Birth Right', early in our pregnancy. It made us realise that we didn't have to be passive in our birth experience. From that point, we were determined to have the birth we wanted. Through our meetings with you and your advice at each stage, we moved along the path toward welcoming our baby into this world in a beautiful and natural way. We were so happy with our birth experience. We felt in complete control which was extremely important to us. Ben was not the smallest of babies (4.5kg. at birth with a 38cm. head plus fist!) and we're sure that we would not have had such a wonderful, natural birth experience without your advice and assistance. Ben is now 8mths. old and is such a happy and healthy little boy. We're sure that this is in no small part due to the way in which he was brought into this world. We can't thank you enough!

Friends and family tend to hold me up as an example of having a low pain threshold and following a very long and difficult labour culminating in an epidural for my first birth, I was very unsure whether I had it in me to achieve the drug free labour and waterbirth I really longed to have for my second child. I contacted Susan very late in the pregnancy after months of dithering and angst, and it was the best thing I could possibly have done.

It is difficult to explain the power of having someone so strong and centered and

Friends and family tend to hold me up as an example of having a low pain threshold and following a very long and difficult labour culminating in an epidural for my first birth, I was very unsure whether I had it in me to achieve the drug free labour and waterbirth I really longed to have for my second child. I contacted Susan very late in the pregnancy after months of dithering and angst, and it was the best thing I could possibly have done.

It is difficult to explain the power of having someone so strong and centered and experienced lending balance and authority during the extremes of labour supporting your decisions, suggesting techniques to help ease the pain, and reminding you of your own strength and capability. Susan met with me several times before the birth and we worked through my lack of confidence and fear, resulting from my difficult first birth. She was reassuring and empathetic but also very straightforward and no-nonsense.

After another long pre-labour at home, during which we spoke regularly to Susan, my husband and I met her at the Birth Centre. I was very discouraged to realise we had come in prematurely, and that I was not particularly dilated. Susan was soothing and encouraging. Her help in getting past this initial blow to my confidence was very important, since my husband was similarly traumatised by the first birth and just as in need of encouragement.

She noticed that being in the bath relaxed me and helped the labour progress. After about 7 hours in the Birth Centre, with lots of encouragement and gentle reminders to breathe and focus and relax from Susan, Rosalie emerged strong, calm, alert and breastfed immediately. Her alertness seemed truly miraculous, in sharp contrast to the relative limpness of my first baby after pethidine and an epidural.

I am immensely proud of myself for giving birth to my second daughter naturally. Attaining your own goals for an ideal birth for you and your child, with the maximum of considered control over your own labour, is indescribably gratifying. For me, this natural waterbirth was a huge achievement that will remain an important factor in my self-regard all my life. But I really don't think I would have had the focus to endure without Susan's help. I am eternally grateful to her and I wish I had contacted her much earlier, so I could have benefited from the many classes she also offers.

After unsuccessfully trying to have a baby for a number of years through IVF we fell pregnant naturally, which was a welcome shock. I wanted a natural birth and booked into the Birth Centre. I was concerned that having never been through a birth, how would I know what to d, if things were progressing well or if things were going awry?

Friends had an excellent experience with a Doula and we thought it was a good idea to have someone supporting us, who knew how to navigate the medical system and believed wholeheartedly in natural birth.

After unsuccessfully trying to have a baby for a number of years through IVF we fell pregnant naturally, which was a welcome shock. I wanted a natural birth and booked into the Birth Centre. I was concerned that having never been through a birth, how would I know what to d, if things were progressing well or if things were going awry?

Friends had an excellent experience with a Doula and we thought it was a good idea to have someone supporting us, who knew how to navigate the medical system and believed wholeheartedly in natural birth.

Birth Right and Susan came recommended. After having read Susan's book (Birth Right), which made perfect sense to me, it felt like with Susan we would be in practical, pragmatic capable hands. We met and I was impressed by Susan's approach to supporting couples and in particular felt that she and my partner got on well. I felt very confident as our pregnancy progressed that both Silas and Susan knew what I wanted and would be able to support me through the birth.

We had six nights of pre-labour and Susan was on the end of the phone answering questions and I felt secure knowing that this was a normal set of events. As labour failed to kick in naturally, despite all our efforts, and the time after my waters broke ticked away, Silas, Susan and I made our way to the Birth Centre. Sadly for us, meconium was present and we were transferred to the Delivery Suite.

Having Susan helped to ensure that we had the birth that we wanted. At all points Susan, explained the options as the medical team presented them and helped us to negotiate less intervention, rather than more. Having Silas and Susan there meant that I felt able and confident to get on with breathing through the waves, focusing and enjoying the birth. I knew I could give birth naturally and that is exactly what we did. Matilda was born calmly despite the kerfuffle all around me.

On reflection, it was evident that without a Doula with a clear head and our interests at heart, rather than an eye on the clock and the Dr's wishes, our birth could have gone down the severe medical intervention front. I thank Susan from the bottom of my heart for agreeing to be our Doula and working with us practically and pragmatically all the way through our pregnancy.

Susan and Birth Right are definitely operating with an integrity and genuine desire to support women.
I loved everything I learned from you and the hypnosis is something I keep coming back to so I’ll always be grateful for that opportunity with you.

Lily

I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for the Birth Right session last Sunday (25th March), myself, Chad & Julie (my mother) found it very worthwhile and left us all with a much more positive feeling toward labour and birth. This has not been easy to find!

Sarah

My husband Damien , my cousin Tamryn (our support person) and I attended your Birth Right class in September, 2008 and we just wanted to thank you for giving us such insight into childbirth. Our son, Ace Hamilton, was born at RHW Birth Centre after a 9 hr. labour. Lot's of people told us that as this was our first child we would probably not have the drug-free natural birth we were planning but thanks to all the wonderful advice we received at your classes we were lucky to not only have our baby at the Birth Centre, without intervention

My husband Damien , my cousin Tamryn (our support person) and I attended your Birth Right class in September, 2008 and we just wanted to thank you for giving us such insight into childbirth. Our son, Ace Hamilton, was born at RHW Birth Centre after a 9 hr. labour. Lot's of people told us that as this was our first child we would probably not have the drug-free natural birth we were planning but thanks to all the wonderful advice we received at your classes we were lucky to not only have our baby at the Birth Centre, without intervention or drugs, but our son was born into a beautifully calm, dimly lit room, was able to feed immediately. I didn't require stitches and we were all home safe and healthy within 12 hours of his birth. Being so well informed allowed us to labour confidently and remain focused and combined with superb care from the Midwives, our experience on this day was better than we could have imagined. We recommend your classes to anyone having a baby. Thanks again.

1 week before my baby was due to be born my OB struck fear into me by telling me that things weren't progressing 'normally' because my baby's head had not engaged and she was lying in the posterior position. He said these were not good signs for a 'smooth labour' and that he would recommend an induction or perhaps a c-section if the baby was not born by 41 wks. I was devastated by this news as I was desperate to experience the wonderful journey of a natural birth. 1 day before my baby was due I phoned Susan Ross

1 week before my baby was due to be born my OB struck fear into me by telling me that things weren't progressing 'normally' because my baby's head had not engaged and she was lying in the posterior position. He said these were not good signs for a 'smooth labour' and that he would recommend an induction or perhaps a c-section if the baby was not born by 41 wks. I was devastated by this news as I was desperate to experience the wonderful journey of a natural birth. 1 day before my baby was due I phoned Susan Ross and asked her to be my doula. After speaking with Susan I regained my confidence that I would be able to have a natural birth.

On the night I went into labour, Susan came to our house at 3am and helped me through every contraction. At times I almost lost control but Susan helped calm me down and assured me that things were progressing well. By having her with me I was able to labour at home for as long as possible and only go to the hospital at the last minute to deliver the baby. I arrived at the hospital 10cm dilated and gave birth to a beautiful girl just 1.5 hrs later. No drugs, all natural, just as I had wished for. I truly believe that if it wasn't for Susan, my birthing experience would have been very different.... and perhaps very distressing if there was unnecessary medical intervention. One of the best decisions my husband and I ever made was to ask Susan to be our doula, she ensured our darling girl entered the world in the best possible way.

We found the early weeks of pregnancy to be a confusing time, especially in relation to our options for ante-natal care. It wasn't until we attended a course run by Susan that the fog finally cleared and we felt we could make an informed decision about caregivers and confidently move ahead with our preferred choice. The next most important decision we made during pregnancy was to have Susan as our doula. During the last nervous weeks of the pregnancy Susan provided calming words over the phone. During the actual birth Susan's reassuring presence and advice provided the support and focus

We found the early weeks of pregnancy to be a confusing time, especially in relation to our options for ante-natal care. It wasn't until we attended a course run by Susan that the fog finally cleared and we felt we could make an informed decision about caregivers and confidently move ahead with our preferred choice. The next most important decision we made during pregnancy was to have Susan as our doula. During the last nervous weeks of the pregnancy Susan provided calming words over the phone. During the actual birth Susan's reassuring presence and advice provided the support and focus my husband and I needed to get through. Decoding hospital-speak and remaining a constant presence during the many changes of staff, Susan really was an invaluable part of the experience.

I would just like to thank Susan Ross for her beautiful book, which became my bible during my 4th pregnancy. After 2 inductions, epidurals, forceps, episiotomies, drips, drugs and stitches spread over my first 3 births, I felt that this was my last chance to have the kind of birth I have always dreamed of. Well let me tell you I barely put the book down. It seemed to be with me nearly everywhere I went. I am thrilled to tell you I had a beautiful experience birthing my 4kg. posterior baby boy, because I knew that I could. I

I would just like to thank Susan Ross for her beautiful book, which became my bible during my 4th pregnancy. After 2 inductions, epidurals, forceps, episiotomies, drips, drugs and stitches spread over my first 3 births, I felt that this was my last chance to have the kind of birth I have always dreamed of. Well let me tell you I barely put the book down. It seemed to be with me nearly everywhere I went. I am thrilled to tell you I had a beautiful experience birthing my 4kg. posterior baby boy, because I knew that I could. I had faith in my body, and all the positive affirmation throughout the pregnancy worked. I delivered my son myself, with 2 Midwives watching, lights dim, and music playing. After 5 months, I still feel on that hormonal high. I have never contacted any author before, but this time I had to. Also, after all these years of being passionate about childbirth and pregnancy I plan to become a doula. So thank you again for touching my life in such a beautiful way.

Reading Susan's book, Birth Right, was a turning point for me. I realised that if I just trusted my body, I would be well equipped to cope with a natural, drug-free birth. From that point I was guided and encouraged by Susan. Using Susan as our Doula gave me the confidence to embrace the whole birthing process knowing my husband and I would have expert support throughout the experience and indeed afterwards. Thank you Susan.

Angela

Susan's classes were tremendous as they provided immediate information and answers to all our questions in the privacy of our home. As a practising midwife, Susan was able to explain and teach in a practical and interesting manner. I found her classes enjoyable and they allowed me not to need group classes or read numerous books. Susan is the complete pre-birth encyclopaedia that delivers everything in two classes.

Michael

We didn't have a doula for the birth of our first child, and while the labour started out well, I ended up with an emergency caesarean, due to an awkwardly positioned baby. This was very disappointing. In hindsight, we felt that with the right advice the surgical intervention could have possibly been avoided. This time around the labour went more smoothly and ended with a beautiful drug-free waterbirth. Susan met us at the Birth Centre and worked with the Midwife to guide, reassure and support me. Susan knew, just by watching, what I needed and exactly what to say. She

We didn't have a doula for the birth of our first child, and while the labour started out well, I ended up with an emergency caesarean, due to an awkwardly positioned baby. This was very disappointing. In hindsight, we felt that with the right advice the surgical intervention could have possibly been avoided. This time around the labour went more smoothly and ended with a beautiful drug-free waterbirth. Susan met us at the Birth Centre and worked with the Midwife to guide, reassure and support me. Susan knew, just by watching, what I needed and exactly what to say. She stayed for a while after the birth to make sure the first breastfeed was going well and that we were settling in with the new baby. We found her help in providing comfort and encouragement to be invaluable and would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone else and we'll definitely use her again in the event that we decide that having another child is a good idea.

I just wanted to thank you for creating this amazing 4 day workshop called Inside Birth. I knew when I did the course to become an Educator that it would change lives. I never truly could comprehend the impact this course would have on the people who attend the workshop, it is nothing short of amazing. This is one of the single most amazing courses I have ever had the privilege to teach and I can’t wait to change more couples and babies lives as I impart your knowledge to them and prepare them for the most special experience of

I just wanted to thank you for creating this amazing 4 day workshop called Inside Birth. I knew when I did the course to become an Educator that it would change lives. I never truly could comprehend the impact this course would have on the people who attend the workshop, it is nothing short of amazing. This is one of the single most amazing courses I have ever had the privilege to teach and I can’t wait to change more couples and babies lives as I impart your knowledge to them and prepare them for the most special experience of their lives. This course you have developed is simple yet so very powerful and empowering. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is ready to change the way woman and their partners feel about and experience birth, this is the first step to a more positive relaxed birthing experience.
Thanks again Susan!

The most important thing in finding a doula trainer was being able to engage face-to-face. Birth Right was fantastic in the sense I could approach the theory content at my own pace and then bring this together using Susan’s rich wisdom on a two day workshop. This is where I got the most value, and this I feel is a very important part of Doula training. Susan is a great mentor and frames a positive approach to birth, postpartum and a Doulas role within that.

Aly Kranz

You know, on our particular night, on the night that beautiful Eva was born, having a doula didn't seem to make a difference. We laboured alone in our house until about 3 am - this was an extraordinary and scary and beautiful and momentous period - and then I made the call to her. Susan drove over to our place and then shortly after, we went independently into the birth centre. Sarah continued to labour there until 11 am when Eva was born in the bath.

Things went well, we were in control. This is probably the key to what

You know, on our particular night, on the night that beautiful Eva was born, having a doula didn't seem to make a difference. We laboured alone in our house until about 3 am - this was an extraordinary and scary and beautiful and momentous period - and then I made the call to her. Susan drove over to our place and then shortly after, we went independently into the birth centre. Sarah continued to labour there until 11 am when Eva was born in the bath.

Things went well, we were in control. This is probably the key to what made Susan such a great doula - she was present without being a presence. In the lead up, she made an enormous difference - she (and her book) asked us to ask good questions, she is clear without being prescriptive and she possesses great integrity around the pregnancy and birthing process, her knowledge of hospital and midwifery structures is superlative.

She also took some beautiful pictures.

We would like to thank you for empowering and educating Glen and I with regards to our rights about being entitled to the birth of our choice at any hospital. We can't thank you enough for the information you gave us. I am thoroughly enjoying reading your book and had a good giggle as we sounded just like many other couples described in the early chapters, of not having a choice.

You could easily have brushed us off as you've heard it ALL so many times before, except you listened.

We would like to thank you for empowering and educating Glen and I with regards to our rights about being entitled to the birth of our choice at any hospital. We can't thank you enough for the information you gave us. I am thoroughly enjoying reading your book and had a good giggle as we sounded just like many other couples described in the early chapters, of not having a choice.

You could easily have brushed us off as you've heard it ALL so many times before, except you listened.

You gave us a voice to speak up, and for that we cannot thank you enough.

Susan provided me with great peace of mind due to her knowledge and experience (which was evident from the first time we met her). Staying at home as long as we did during the labour would have been cause for me to worry but having Susan there took that concern away. At no time did I find Susan overbearing or trying to replace me, she was simply there to lend us her expertise and provide great advice, in particular she guided me through what we should do next as the labour progressed e.g - put her in the bath now;

Susan provided me with great peace of mind due to her knowledge and experience (which was evident from the first time we met her). Staying at home as long as we did during the labour would have been cause for me to worry but having Susan there took that concern away. At no time did I find Susan overbearing or trying to replace me, she was simply there to lend us her expertise and provide great advice, in particular she guided me through what we should do next as the labour progressed e.g - put her in the bath now; go to the hospital now etc. Having Susan accompany us to the hospital was also very comforting for me as I didn't have to worry about what the doctors were doing or any of that medical stuff, I knew Susan was on top of it all. I'd have no hesitation in recommending other couples to have Susan attend their birth. I feel things would have been much more difficult if Susan had not been there with us.

Dear Susan, I am writing to say thank you for your book. It changed my outlook on my pregnancy. Everything that happened at the birth that was good happened because I followed your book. I did it drug free, with a doula and had a perfect labour, attachment and early breastfeeding experience. So, thank you for your wisdom and courage. I hope every pregnant couple gets to read your book.

Katarina

Thank goodness for Susan Ross, our wonderful doula! Without her I am sure our experience of Lily's birth would have been far less satisfactory than it eventually was.

I had a normal healthy pregnancy and was excited and happy to be expecting my first baby. At 35 or so weeks, Lily was found to be lying breech. We tried everything under the sun to get her to turn head down, but none of it worked. It looked as though it was going to be difficult to create the kind of natural birth we wanted. Luckily there were voices other than

Thank goodness for Susan Ross, our wonderful doula! Without her I am sure our experience of Lily's birth would have been far less satisfactory than it eventually was.

I had a normal healthy pregnancy and was excited and happy to be expecting my first baby. At 35 or so weeks, Lily was found to be lying breech. We tried everything under the sun to get her to turn head down, but none of it worked. It looked as though it was going to be difficult to create the kind of natural birth we wanted. Luckily there were voices other than mainstream hospital. I had read Susan's book, and we employed her right at the last minute, when we knew we really needed some help. She encouraged me to read and think for myself about what I wanted, and to ask for it. In full knowledge of the realities and risks, I decided to attempt a vaginal breech delivery instead of accepting the elective caesarean recommended by the hospital.

My labour was long and irregular, with lots of stops and starts, and Lily was slightly distressed right from the start. It was nothing like what I had imagined! Susan valiantly came and went from the hospital as we needed her, encouraged me, held my hand, massaged me, gave Andrew much-needed breaks, talked it through and helped us to make decisions about the labour. Most importantly, she helped me to understand that I had choices and to act on them for the sake and safety of my baby and myself - particularly once it became obvious that we needed an emergency caesarean. Although I was frightened and dependent on the hospital staff, I never truly felt like I had lost control of the labour, of my baby's wellbeing, of my story, my body and my self. And for that reason, when I look back at Lily's birth, I feel entirely satisfied with our decisions and the outcomes.

Thank you Susan for helping us to deliver our beautiful, bright, healthy baby girl, and for facilitating a difficult birth in such a practical, empowered and spiritually satisfying way.

Using Susan as our Doula gave us tremendous support. We were able to discuss ideas about the pregnancy, birth and post-natal with Susan in our home. I was given peace of mind that my wife had expert care in order to give our daughter the best start in life without medical intervention. Our daughter definitely benefited from the lack of drugs, she was instantly alert which in turn assisted with breast-feeding attachment. Quite incredible.